DNA-based prediction of external ear morphology in the Chinese population: an exploratory study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The external human ear is a polymorphic and polygenic structure with individual uniqueness, making it a valuable target in forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) studies. Previous genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genetic loci associated with variation in ear characteristics. However, research focused on predicting ear morphology within the context of FDP remains limited. This study aimed to develop DNA-based predictive models for external ear morphology in the Chinese population.

Methods

Digital photographs of 675 volunteers were used to score 13 ear phenotypes, each categorized into three levels. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) was applied for genetic association analysis. Five predictive models-MLR, support vector machines, random forest, A

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12515430 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature